The Sci-Fi Channel is moving into uncharted waters with a new, enterprising idea to blend an MMO PC game and a television show that will air on the network. Not only will the two overlap, but what happens in the game will influence what happens on the show. The pitch works like this. Sci-Fi tells gamers about a specific event (the aliens are landing here at 0600 hours) and then the gamers deal with the rest. Then, their actions are dramatized on the small screen. Or to put it in the words of Sci-Fi’s CEO, Dave Howe:

A television show that is on once a week isn’t enough. The fans today want the experience to go beyond that. For example, we can tell them that there will be an alien invasion at a certain place in the game, at a certain time, and to be there with all their friends and be ready. The outcome depends on them. And then that battle will be part of the universe in the show

The success of this show/game/project depends on a lot of things. Of course, the game has to be good (Sci-Fi is working with largely untested Trion World Network). The show has to be good (Sci-Fi has a spotty history with this), and finally; the experience must be engaging. What happens if they make this thing and nobody wants to play?